Tank gauge for oil and other liquids



May 30, 1950 A. KRESTA TANK yGAUGE FQR @1L AND OTHER LIQUIDS Filed Jan. l5, 1947 gal. A l, 1 A

Patented May 30, 1950 TANK GAUGE FOR OIL AND OTHER LIQUIDS Alois Kresta, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Prenco Progress and Engineering Corporation Limited, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application January 15, 1947, Serial No. 722,261

(Cl. 'Z3-317) 5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in gauges to be applied to tanks containing liquids, which will present at all times an accurate visible indication of the quantity of liquid in the tank and the principal object of the invention is to provide a device which may be easily and quicklyplaced in the tank and secured with a liquid and gas-tight seal and which may be readily adjusted to locate the oat in the desired position.

The principal feature of the invention consists in providing the base of the gauge member with an expansible collar adapted to be freely inserted into the bore of a nipple secured in an opening in a tank and arranging means for applying pressure to said collar to expand same to engage the Walls of the tank nipple and the gauge member to form a liquid and gas-tight seal and to hold the gauge securely in an adjusted position.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a portion of a tank showing the arrangement of the improved gauge in elevation.

Figure 2 is a vertical mid-sectional view of my improved oil gauge shown inserted in the tank nipple.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the sealing collar expanded to grip and seal the tank nipple.

The form of gauge herein shown comprises a base block I of cylindrical form having an enlarged portion vforming a shoulder 2 and a ange 3 extending beyond said shoulder.

A circular recess 4 is counterbored in the top of the base block I to hold a washer 5 and the bottom end of a transparent gauge tube 6 which may be of glass or other suitable material.

A Washer 1 is arranged within a cap 8 which is flanged to lit over and seal the top of the tube 6, said cap being preferably formed with a frustro-conical centre 9 which is perforated with a central hole through which a bolt I extends downwardly through the centre of the tube and through a central hole II extending axially through the base I.

Threaded on the threaded end I2 of the bolt I0 is a cup-shaped nut I3, the flange I4 of which loosely encircles the lower end of the cylindrical block I.

Arranged between the upper edge of the flange I4 of the nut I3 and the shoulder 2 of the block I is a collar I of rubber or other suitable readily compressible material which when compressed longitudinally will expand in diameter.

The outer diameter of the collar I5 when not under compression is adapted to nt loosely with-, in the cylindrical bore IS of a nipple Il which is threaded into a threaded flange I8 secured to the outer wall of the tank I9 and forming an. opening thereinto.

The block I is formed with a hole 20 extending upwardly from the bottom and arranged oiset from the central bore II.

A rod 2| secured in the hole 20 in the block I extends vertically downward through a hole 22 arranged in the nut I3 and forms a sliding guide for the nut to prevent it from turning on the turning of the bolt I0.

'Ihe block I is provided with a vertical hole 23 arranged parallel with the centre bore II and diametrically opposite to the hole 20. This hole extends through the block from bottom to top and a rod 24 slidable therein extends through a hole 25 in the nut and through the block I into the interior of the tube I5.

A gauge disc 26 is secured on the upper end of the rod 24 and is provided with a central hole 21 through which the bolt Ill extends freely.

The periphery of the disc 26 is shown formed with a circumferential groove in which is placed a black or other coloured marker 28 which will be readily seen through the transparent tube 6.

The tube 6 has suitable gauge marks arranged on its face, either inside or outside to register with the marker 28 of the disc 2B to indicate the level of the liquid in the tank on which the gauge is mounted.

The rod 2| extends well down into the tank and upon its lower end is pivotally mounted the forked end 29 of a rod 3U upon the free end of which is secured a suitable iioat 3|.

A link rod 32 is pivotally secured to the rod 3l) at a point spaced a suitable distance from the rod 2I and it extends upwardly and its upper end 33 is pivotally connected to the lower end of the rod 24 extending below the base I and nut I3.

In the application of this invention the tank is provided with a collar ilange I8 which is provided with a threaded opening.

A smooth bore nipple is threaded into this flange and thus provides a large opening which permits the float 3| with its jointed connecting rods to be easily inserted into the tank.

The block I with its compressible collar', which are connected to the rods 2! and 24, slips freely into the bore of the nipple until the ange 3 rests upon the top of the nipple.

The block I may be turned easily and freely to bring the laterally extending float rod 30 into its proper operating position.

engages in contact with the inner Wall of the nipple I1 securing the gauge rmly in place and forming a gas and liquid seal.

It will be understood that a gauge such as described will be easily removed for repair 'oradjusts ment and again replaced by the simple operation of turning the bolt.

The construction herein described is the preferred form but it will be readily appreciated that numerous changes may be made withinthescope of the invention to secure the gauge by expanding a compressible member to grip and hold it in position.

What I Vclaim as .my invention is:

1. In a tank gauge the combination with the wall-'of an opening virl-the tank, oia 'gauge member hav-ing 'a peripheral shoulder, -a compressible Acollar surrounding said gauge member and engaging 'saidfshoul'der, a member engaging 'said fcollar t'o compress same against Said shoulder, means mounted in said gauge for operating said expanding member, and ffioateoperat'ed liquid level indicating meanscarried by said gauge member and extending through said collar-engaging member to prevent rotation of same.

2. In a tank gauge, the combination with the walliha-ving anopening into the tank, of a gauge member having anexpansible collar to t loosely into said opening, an extension projecting from said gauge member, a neat-carrying rod pivoted to s'aid'extension to `extend longitudinally of said tank, a yliquid level indicating means operatively connected to said oat rodand extending through said gauge mem-ber, and means `for expanding said collar -to grip "the tank.

3. In a tank gauge, the combination with the Wall having an opening into the tank, of a gauge member having a peripheral shoulder, liquid level indicating float means operatively connected with said gauge member, a compressible collar surrounding said gauge member and engaging said shoulder, a flanged member loosely encircling the gauge memberland having a threaded hole therein and held from rotation bysaid liquid level indicating means connected with said gauge member, and a bolt rotatably mounted in said gauge member land Vengaging `said threaded hole in said flanged member to move the flange thereof into and out of compressive contact with said collar.

4. A device as Yclaimed in claim 3 in which the oatmeans comprises a rod rigidly secured in said gauge ,member and slidably extending through a hole in said flanged member to hold same from rotation, a float arm secured to said rod, and indicator means connected with said oat arm and extending upwardly through 'said 'gauge member.

5. A device as claimed in claim 3 whereinfa transparent 'tube is mounted lon the shouldered member, a vcover closing tnetop of said tubefthe bolt being rotatably mounted `in said cover extends *through said tube land flange member, ,2a. gauge discbeing slidablymounted on and guided by the bolt within the tube and operatively com nected with said float means.

ALOIS KREST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iilc Aof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name VDate 1,623,843 Klinek i- 1- -a Apr. A5, 1927 1,644,118 Florence i e- Octf, 1927 V12,277,445 Mele Y Mar.l24,1942 2,277,885 Rodanetil."` Mar. 3l, 1942 

